You don’t even need to be a gun owner to know the term “AR-15,” but, frankly, only gun owners really understand why it’s such a popular firearm (hint to any anti-gunners reading this: It’s not because it’s an “Assault Rifle,” which is description of how a weapon can be used, not of what it is).
It’s true that gun owners dearly love their AR-15s. In fact, Mark Overstreet wrote this about them:
Second to the muskets used in our revolutionary and civil wars, the AR-15 may be the most important firearm in American political history.
All told, more Americans have fired more rounds from more AR-15s for personal defense, defensive firearm training, marksmanship competitions, individual practice, and hunting than from any other rifle. For that reason, the AR-15 is the primary firearm upon which Americans would rely if they had to fight for freedom today.
Overstreet believes that one of the reasons that you may want to consider owning an AR-15, if you don’t already have one is because, “first and foremost, it is a rifle.” Now, while this may sound basic, this really is one of the reasons to consider having an AR-15 over another type of firearm if you must pick and choose between them. Why? Overstreet writes,
In any event, rifles are the type of firearm most useful for the entire range of defensive applications because they are inherently more accurate than handguns and shotguns, are easier to shoot accurately, are more powerful across the greater distances at which they are effective, and can hold more rounds of ammunition. When armed with a rifle, a handgun’s primary purpose is to be ready in the holster in case the rifle runs out of ammunition or malfunctions.
Other reasons to consider an AR-15 over other rifles is the fact that it is a modular rifle, meaning that it is easy to change components for either repair of the weapon or customizations, and also because the firearm is semiautomatic, which means that, in a pinch, you’ll spend less time reloading than you would otherwise. That can mean the difference between life and death.
I’m sure that you can think of other reasons to own an AR-15 in particular, but this is a good starter list, and, if you’re shopping for a firearm, read over this article again. It will give you food for thought.